| by Kathy Wierenge The competition is hot in the Odyssey Baseball League playoffs. In the first playoff game, Whit’s End challenged the Electric Palace. Bart Rathbone, Electric Palace’s team captain, was ejected early in the game when he was caught moving the bases closer to home before his team went to bat. "I was only trying to save the grass from getting trampled on," he argued with the umpire. The Electric Palace was ahead 4-2 at the bottom of the ninth, when John Avery Whittaker stepped up to bat with bases loaded. "Hit it out of the park!" Connie Kendall yelled from second base. And that’s exactly what Whittaker did. With a crack of the bat, the ball flew over the fence and out of McCalister Park. The crowd in the bleachers roared as the four teammates rounded the bases and Whit’s End won the game by two runs. When asked how he felt about hitting the game-winning home run, Whittaker could only gasp for air. He finally replied: "Exhausted. I don’t remember it being that long of a run around the diamond. I think I need to get in better shape." |
